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Fridays@3: Nick and the Prizefighter

July 14
Nick and the Prizefighter
By Kamilah Bush
Directed by Kristolyn Lloyd
Composed by Brittany Campbell

Selah Thompson is the caregiver for her famous playwright father, Forest Thompson. Nick Beerman, a young writer and dramaturg, is tasked with helping Forest complete his life’s work before the clock runs out. Selah must fight for control of her father’s work and legacy—and find her own rhythm as she prepares to face the world without him.

CAST
Dane DeHaan as Nick
Amber Iman as Selah Thompson
Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Forest Thompson
dL Sams reading stage directions

BIOS
Kamilah Bush is a playwright, dramaturg and educator originally from North Carolina. She has spent several years working in celebrated regional theaters across the country, including Triad Stage in North Carolina, Asolo Repertory Theater in Florida and Two River Theater in New Jersey. She currently holds the position of Literary Manager at Portland Center Stage in Portland, OR. In her time at regional theaters, she has worked as a dramaturg on new musicals with the writing team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and with Be More Chill’s Joe Iconis. Her play Nick and the Prizefighter was a semifinalist in the 2021 Bay Area Playwright’s Festival, the 2022 L. Arnold Weissberger Award and the 2023 Princess Grace Award, and won the 2021 Urbanite Theater Modern Works Festival.

Kristolyn Lloyd is a Grammy and Emmy Award Winning Actress. Her directing credits include: Dainty (The Garden Workshop, Mosiac Theatre) Nick and The Prizefighter (Urbanite Theatre Modern Works Festival), A Patriots Place (B-Street Theatre Readings, BOLD Festival) Acting Credits include Broadway; 1776, Dear Evan Hansen. Off Broadway; Little Women (Primary Stages), Blue Ridge (Atlantic) Paradise Blue, The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre) Invisible Thread (Second Stage Theatre), Heathers The Musical (New World Stages) TV includes: “Chicago Med”, “ER” (NBC), “Random Acts of Flyness” (HBO), “Bold and The Beautiful”, “Elementary”, “Madam Secretary”, “Kevin Can Wait” (CBS), “Lie to Me” (FOX) @kristolynlloyd

Brittany Campbell is an award winning Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Animator and Actress. Getting her start from an early age winning a singing competition that led her to be recruited into the Metropolitan Opera, Brittany has graced Broadway stages in productions such as Hamilton, Civil War, and A Christmas Carol. Influenced by soul, RnB, rock, and the harmonic richness of jazz, Brittany’s debut album Stay Gold (2018) was self-released to overwhelmingly positive reviews in the indie scene. Showing off her arsenal of emotion-evoking R&B lyrics and vocals on Stay Gold, the album caught the attention of tastemakers like Bandcamp who said “Campbell’s music fills the space between public relationships and intimate narratives, voicing the fears, promises, reservations, and revelations of the innermost heart to the unnamed lover/s addressed in her songwriting.” Called “Renaissance Girl” by Lady Gunn, Brittany’s creative passions are ever expanding. In 2019 she formed a duo called “Mermaid”, praised by Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes) for their thought provoking lyricism. Signed to Justin Tranter’s Facet House (Warner Chapel) in 2022, Brittany has garnered over 16 T.V./Film syncs this year. She is currently writing original music for the musical T.V series “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” now streaming on Paramount Plus.

Amber Iman is a performer, filmmaker, and activist. She debuted on Broadway as the High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone, in Soul Doctor, earning rave reviews and a Clive Barnes Award nomination. Since, she has been seen in George C. Wolfe’s Shuffle Along, the National Tour of the megahit musical, Hamilton, and she has performed Off Broadway and regionally with New York Theatre Workshop, New World Stages, Two River Theater, the Kennedy Center, and many more, earning nominations for Helen Hayes, IRENE, and Ovation Awards. Amber recently starred in two Broadway-bound musicals: Lempicka at La Jolla Playhouse and Goddess at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Amber was honored with a Tony Award for her work with Broadway Advocacy Coalition and was selected for Variety’s 10 Broadway Stars to Watch list in 2022.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson received a Tony Award as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Drama for August Wilson’s Seven
Guitars
. Most recently, he received a Tony nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for Lackawanna Blues in which he was awarded the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor. With Lackawanna Blues, Ruben became the first person in the history of Broadway to write, direct, and star in a play. He made his Broadway acting debut alongside Gregory Hines in Jelly’s Last Jam. Other NY theatre performances include August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned (Signature), Stick Fly (Broadway), A Winter’s Tale (NYSF), and Gem of the Ocean (Broadway). Ruben directed the Broadway production of August Wilson’s Jitney, receiving numerous honors for best revival including the Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards. Other directing credits: Skeleton Crew, The Piano Lesson, Paradise Blue, My Children My Africa, Othello, and The Happiest Song Plays Last.

Dane DeHaan is currently shooting American Primeval for Netflix and will next be seen in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film Oppenheimer, across Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt. Additionally, he recently appeared in Antonio Campos’ highly anticipated HBO Max drama, The Staircase, alongside Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Juliette Binoche and Sophie Turner. He also starred in Stephen King’s Lisey’s Story opposite Juliane Moore, Clive Owen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Joan Allen. The series is directed by Pablo Larrain for Apple TV+. He can also be seen in Amazon Studio’s international cocaine drama ZERO ZERO ZERO, from director Stefano Sollima. On the silver screen DeHaan was last seen as Billy the Kid in The Kid opposite Ethan Hawke and Chris Pratt and as Gore Verbinski’s leading man in A Cure for Wellness. Other film and television credits include The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Place Beyond The Pines, Chronicle, Kill Your Darlings, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Lawless, and In Treatment.

dL Sams is thrilled to be joining the cast and creative team of Nick and The Prizefighter! Select credits include Broadway: Clyde’s. Film: Luckiest Girl Alive, Confetti, A Holiday in Harlem. Television: “And Just Like That”, “Blue Bloods”, “Godfather of Harlem”, “Dietland”. Special thanks to friends and family.

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